U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,309,962 and 3,401,598 disclose military vehicles having external guns that can be elevated bodily and also turned about the gun pivot axis. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,962 the gun-support pedestal is mounted directly on the hull, such that the soldier gunner is seated in a stationary position behind the gun controls. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,598 the gun-support pedestal is disposed on a turntable located near the hull bottom wall. In both of these patented arrangements the gun-support mechanism extends into the hull interior, thereby subtracting from otherwise usable space.
The present invention provides an arrangement wherein the power mechanism for elevating the gun is located externally of the hull, namely on the roof of a relatively large turret. Rotation of the turret in the azimuth plane serves to rotate the gun. The turret is large enough to accommodate one or two soldiers, e.g. a gunner and commander.
The gun system preferably includes an ammunition storage means within the forward section of the hull, and at least one ammunition supply tube extending along the underside of the gun for delivering individual rounds to the firing chamber in the aft end of the gun. When necessary the supply tube is replenished with rounds of ammunition by positioning the gun so that the entry end of the supply tube registers with an ammunition delivery opening in the hull upper wall. Conveyor mechanisms in the hull and supply tube are activated to move individual rounds of ammunition from the hull storage area into the supply tube.
The invention is generally directed to a military vehicle that includes an externally adjusted gun that can be automatically loaded and fired without necessity for the soldiers having to expose themselves to enemy fire.